Foster the People
Supermodel
(Columbia)

Remember back to the summer of 2011. You couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing “Pumped Up Kicks.” This song catapulted Foster the People into success, selling out large venues and headlining festivals. Torches, their debut record, was a powerhouse release; every track was extremely catchy and addictive. They’ve ridden the coattails of this succees through three years, and have finally released their sophomore album, Supermodel.

Supermodel is much more mellow, and much less memorable than Torches. Foster’s use of synthesizers is far less prevalent, and in some cases nearly inaudible. This is an interesting choice to make, considering that so much of the sound they are recognized for orbits synths. Guitar riffs have come to the forefront on this record, greatly altering the overall sound.

Similarly to MGMT, who rose to electronic indie pop fame and abandoned the sound their audience adored them for, Foster the People have attempted to make a shift in their music. Unfortunately, it was not very successful. The majority of the songs sound the same, and all lyrically center on coming into your own.

The one song on the album that stands out from the crowd is the single, “Coming of Age.” A little more upbeat than the rest of the record, this song sounds like a musical bridge between Torches and Supermodel. While it is a breezy pop song, its still not quite on-point with what is currently happening in music.